Rifle equipped with a grenade throwing device and an aiming scale



Dec. 12, 1961 Filed Sept. 28, 1959 DONATSCH 3,012,349

N. RIFLE EQUIPPED WITH A GRENADE THROWING DEVICE AND AN AIMING SCALE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 NICOLAUS DONATSCH NVE N TOR ATTORNEY.

Dec. 12, 1961 N. DONATSCH 3,012,349

RIFLE EQUIPPED WITH A GRENADE THROWING DEVICE AND AN AIMING SCALE Filed Sept. 28, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 2 NVE N TOR NICDLAUS DONATSCH BY ginw ATTORNEY N. DONATSCH 3,012,349 RIFLE EQUIPPED. WITH A GRENADE THROWING DEVICE AND AN AIMING SCALE Dec. 12, 1961 Filed Sept. 28, 1959 5 Sheets Sheet 3 v '7 i (\E .i Fm. k v A (it R J, 2W q; 4

INVE N TOR NIC OLAUS nom'rs cn 3,.dl234d Patented Dec. 12, 1961 ice 3,012 349 RIFLE EQUIPPED WHTH A GRENADE THROW- llNG DEVICE AND AN AlldlNG SCALE Nicolaus Donatsch, Geneva, Switzerland, assignor to Brevets Aero-Mecaniques S.A,, Geneva, Switzerland Filed Sept. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 842,830 Claims priority, application Luxembourg (let. 3, H58

9 Claims. (Cl. 421) apply the invention, but not exclusively, to rifles equipped with a grenade-sleeve.

Before commencing with the main feature of the invention, and in order to make the descriptionlthereof clearer, it would probably be advantageous to recall that it has already been proposed to equip such weapons with an aiming device for use when'the weapon is being used as a grenade thrower, comprising a sort of graduated scale extending in general in a plane perpendicular to the axis of firing, the graduations of the said scale enabling the firer to take different lines of sight corresponding to different firing distances.

But, and this is of prime importance for understanding the invention, in aiming systems of this kind using a graduated scale, the scale always occupies the same position relatively to the weapon when the said scale is in the operative position. 1

In order to give a clear picture of this position, let it be supposed that the weapon is at the shoulder for firing normal projectiles, the barrel of the said weapon being substantially horizontal, whilst the butt extends so that a median line through the butt extends downwardly and rearwardly, which brings the aiming eye at an appropriate level for aiming the weapon.

Under these circumstances, the axis of the barrel defines with each generatrix thereof a half-plane which can appropriately be called a radial half-plane of the barrel"; the radial half-plane corresponding to the upper generatrix of the barrel (in the shouldered position under consideration) is then vertical and will be referred to hereinafter as the upper radial half-plane of the barrel.

Bearing these definitions in mind, it can be laid down that, in portable firearms provided with a butt and with a scale-type aiming device for throwing grenades, the scale of the device always extended when in the operative position substantially in the upper radial half-plane of the barrel. I

Another way of recalling the prior art is to draw attention to the fact that, for any weapon which is to be capable of being used for two different kinds of projectiles, each kind of firing operation has a fixed aiming plane relatively to the weapon. These two planes intersect along a line above which, for each method of firing (the gun being in the firing position) there extends an upper aiming half-plane. The two upper aiming halfplanes form a dihedral angle which is nil in known weapons of this kind up to the present day.

Now, with an aiming device arranged in this way, the person using the weapon could not proceed to fire grenades, using the said aiming device effectively, whilst at the same time occupying a position in which he was concealed as much as possible from enemy fire and from the view of the enemy, that is to say in a hidden position.

In fact, for firing grenades, the person firing the weapon has to support the butt of the weapon on the ground in p And it will, in anycase, be

order to take up the relatively considerable recoil force exerted by this special way of firing, and in order to aim his weapon he has also to support it in a position wherein the aiming scale extends above the barrel of the said weapon in a substantially vertical plane parallel to the axis of the said weapon. i

It follows that, when the aiming scale is in the upper radial half-plane of the barrel (as is the casefor weapons of this kind known up to the present day), the weapon has necessarily to be supported, for firing grenades, in a position wherein the said radial-half-plane is verticaland orientated upwards.

Now, in view'of the obtuse angle formed by the axis of the barrel and the general direction of the butt resting against the ground at its lower point, the necessity of adopting a firing position of this kind has the result of situating the aiming scale relatively to the ground at a level which is the maximum level which the said scale can occupy for a given orientation of the barrel of the weapon whose butt; is supported on the ground.

It is precisely by virtue of this position of maximum elevation of the aiming scale that the person firing'the weapon, in order to fire grenades, had to stay in a position crouched down as far as he could (he cannot lie down), and had to raise himself to some extent in order to aim, thus getting into an awkward position in which he was also more exposed than in the prone position to the View of the enemy and enemy fire, as will be brought out more clearly hereinafter in the description.

The object of the main feature of the invention is to obviate the disadvantages mentioned hereinbefore, that is to say permit the person firing the weapon to fire grenades whilst remaining in a position in which he is more plane of the barrel of the weapon forming a substantial angle, advantageously with the upper radial halfplane of the said barrel and, on the other hand, on the same side as that at which the first-mentionedv radial halfplane extends from the axis of the barrel, and the said scale can advantageously be carried by the grenadethrowing device and, relatively to the said device, can have firstly a degree of angular freedom about a transverse axis such that the scale can be swung over in the position of rest againstthe upper portion of the device, and secondly'a degree of angular freedom about an axis parallel to the axis of the barrel permitting the said scalejto be orientated when in the operative position parallel to a plane forming a substantial angle with the upper radial half-plane of the barrel.

Apart from this main feature, it consists of certain other features which will preferably be used at the same time and which will be discussed more explicity hereinafter.

' It relates more particularly to a certain mode of application (that in which it is applied to rifles equipped with a grenade-sleeve), and to certain forms of embodiment.

of the said features; and it further relates more particularly, by way of novel industrial products, to weapons of the kind in question to which these same features are applied, and also the special tools and elements, more particularly devices for throwing grenades provided with a scale-type aiming device, adapted for the construction of such weapons. 1

the help of the addiitonal description which follows and readily understood with the accompanying drawings, which description and drawing are, of course, given more particularly by way of example.

FIG. 1 of these drawings illustrates in perspective and in the firing position for throwing grenades, a rifle equipped with a grenade-throwing device, this assembly being arranged in accordance with the invention.

FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c are diagrammatic views intended to show how advantageous the invention is, FIG. 2a showing a conventional grenade-throwing rifle in the firing position whereas FIGS. 2b and 2c show, also in the firing position, grenade-throwing rifles constructed in accordance with two forms of embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a view on a larger scale, in perspective and with parts broken away, of the front end of a grenadethrowing rifle constructed according to the form of embodiment which was the subject of FIG. 2b, the said rifle being provided with a grenade-sleeve equipped with an aiming scale.

FIGS. 4 and 5, finally, illustrate the said form of embodiment respectively in axial section and in cross-section taken on V--V of FIG. 4.

According to the invention and more especially according to that mode of application and those forms of embodiment of its various parts to which it seems that preference should be given, proposing, for example, to construct a rifle equipped with a detachable grenadesleeve, which assembly is to comprise an aiming scale intended to permit the firer to take a line of sight based on the reference marking selected from the scale and on the visible contour of the grenade fitted on the sleeve, the following or similar procedure is adopted.

First of all as far as the general construction of the weapon is concerned (including the grenade-sleeve which is to be added to the weapon), except for the aiming scale which it is to carry in order to fire grenades, the said weapon can be constructed in any desired appropriate manner and, more particularly and as illustrated in FIG. 1, by providing the weapon with a barrel 1 sup ported by a stock 2 which itself supports the breech mechanism 3 and the trigger mechanism 4 of the weapon, the said stock continuing rearwardly to merge into a butt 5 whose general shape is flattened and whose median line forms an obtuse angle with the axis of the barrel 1,

- and constructing the grenade-sleeve essentially as a tubular element 6 whose rear portion can fit on the forward end of the barrel 1 whereas its forward portion is adapted to be surrounded by the rear tubular portion of the grenade 7 which is to be thrown.

Then, as regards the aiming scale 8 with which the weapon is to be supplemented as stated hereinbefore, it is preferably carried in a manner known per se by the sleeve 6 and, advantageously, the said scale 8 is articulated on a swivel pin 9 perpendicular to the axis of the sleeve 6, so that the said scale can be swung over on to the body of the sleeve in the position of rest, the scale in question being illustrated in the operative position in FIG. 1, on the contrary, i.e. in a position in which it extends in a plane which is preferably perpendicular to the axis of the barrel 1 of the weapon.

In the foregoing nothing has been said regarding the orientation of the scale 8 in the plane perpendicular to the axis of the barrel 1 in which it is situated when it is in the operative position.

In this connection, it was recalled hereinbefore that, in hitherto known grenade-throwing rifles, the aiming scale 8 was disposed in the upper radial half-plane P of the barrel 1 of the weapon.

FIG. 2a shows a rifle arranged in accordance with this prior art, in a position for firing grenades, the rifle being supported on the ground by the lower point a of its butt 5, so that the aiming scale 8 is situated above the barrel of the weapon and in a substantially vertical plane.

It will be seen that in these circumstances, in order to take the line of sight M in the most unfavourable case (firing over a maximum distance), the marksmans eye must be at a height H off the ground which, in practice, does not enable the man to aim whilst remaining lying down, that is to say in the position in which he would be hidden as much as possible from the enemy view and fire,

The object of the main feature of the invention is precisely to obviate this disadvantage.

According to this feature, instead of situating the aiming scale 8 in the upper radial half-plane P of the barrel 1 as has been done up to the present time (solution illustrated in FIG. 2a), the scale-type aiming device is so arranged that the scale 8 when in the operative position extends in the radial half-plane of the barrel 1 which forms a substantial angle with the upper radial half-plane P of the said barrel. It is readily apparent that the same results may be achieved by mounting the aiming device so that in an operative position it extends parallel to such radial half plane.

In other words, the arrangement is such that the two upper half-planes corresponding respectively to firing with bullets and firing with grenades form a dihedron whose apex angle has a substantial value, which must not, of course, be 360, which corresponds to the former state of the art.

In this way, when the rifle is in the position for firing grenades, that is to say in a position wherein the butt rests on the ground and the aiming scale 8 extends above the barrel parallel to the vertical plane passing through the axis of the barrel 1, the said aiming scale is lowered relatively to the position of maximum elevation which it necessarily occupied when it was situated, in the operative position, in the upper radial half-plane P of the barrel 1 (the case shown in FIG. 2a).

Thus, for example, the arrangement can be such that the scale 8 extends in either, as FIG. 2b shows, one of the radial half-planes P forming an angle of with the upper radial half-plane P the line of sight M being then situated, in the most unfavourable case, at a level H distinctly lower than the corresponding level H in the case of a conventional weapon, or else, as FIG. 20 shows, the radial half-plane P forming an angle of 180 with the upper radial half-plane P the sight line M being then situated at a minimum level H in the most unfavourable case.

Although this second solution enables the firer to camouflage himself to the maximum extent, it seems. preferable to adopt the first solution (illustrated in FIG. 2b) in which the butt 5 of the weapon rests firmly on the ground over its entire end face and not merely by one of its points as in the case of the conventional weapon illustrated in FIG. 2a or the second solution illustrated in FIG. 20.

When the said first solution is resorted to, the radial half-plane P which will be adopted for orientating the aiming scale 8 will preferably be that which, when it is orientated vertically and upwardly, leaves the trigger device 4 of the rifle atits right-hand side, which facilitates firing for a normal person, that is to say for a righthanded firer.

It would then be suflicient to proceed as indicated hereinbefore, that is to say giving the scale 8 freedom of angular movement in one sense only about an axis 9 directed perpendicularly to the axis of the barrel and perpendicularly also to the radial half-plane in which the said scale is orientated, in which case the firer when firing grenades should always adopt substantially the same position for the rifle, for example arranging the butt of the said rifle in a flat position when the scale 8 is orientated in accordance with a radial half-plane forming an angle of 90 with the upper half-plane of the barrel (position shown in FIG. 1).

However, it seems preferable, according to a solution 75 which will now be discussed more explicitly, to arrange the scale-type aiming device so that the scale 8, in addition to freedom of angular movement about the axis 9 is given freedom of angular movement about an axis parallel to that of the barrel 1 so that it canbe orientated in difierent radial halt-planes of the said barrel.

Thus, it would be possible, more particularly and by way of example, to use the form of embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein the swivel pin 9 of the scale 3 is carried by a block 10 pivotally mounted on the body of the sleeve 6 and capable of passing, by rotational movement through 90, from a position I in which the scale 8 is orientated in the upper radial half-plane of the barrel to a position II in which the said scale is orientated perpendicularly to the said upper radial half-plane.

In this way, depending on whether the scale 8 is brought into the position I or position II, the person using the weapon can fire grenades, in the first case, as if he were using a conventional grenade-throwing riiie, i.e. keeping in a crouched position, and, in the second case, adopting the lying position which enables him to camouflage himself Well.

It should also be pointed out that it would be possible to provide a multiplicity of possible operative positions for the scale 8, for example by enabling the block 10 to be capable of angular movement through 360 and providing at intervals releasable locking means for example of spring type whereby the block in question could be retained in any one of the various possible locking positions.

For this purpose it is possible to use, for example,

the form of embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 to according to which it is possible to give the scale 8 four dir'ferent orientations forming respectively angles of 0, 90, 180 and 270 with the aiming half-plane corresponding to firing with bullets.

According to this form of embodiment, the block carrying the scale 8 is mounted to be slidable in the axial direction and pivotable on the body of the sleeve 6, the said block it is subjected to the action of a spring 11 which urges it in the axial direction into one of its end positions, for example its rear end position, the rear end of the block 10 and the corresponding region of the sleeve 6 are made to comprise matching elements (teeth 12 and recesses 13) of a toothed coupling mrangement, these elements being arranged on the one hand to be capable of cooperating by fitting in one another when the block 10 occupies its rear end position and on the other hand of being disengaged when the block 16 is displaced forwardly in opposition to the action of the spring 11, and the elements of the said toothed coupling device carried by the sleeve 6 are so situated that, once the said sleeve is in position on the barrel 1 in an invariable angular position (determined by the foresight 14 of the barrel engaging in a. slot of the sleeve, the block 10 can be immobilised in any one of the four aforesaid positions.

Consequently, irrespective of the form of embodiment adopted, the invention, in short, provides a grenade throwing rifle whose method of use and advantages will be sufiiciently clear from the foregoing description, so that there is no point in going into further additional explanations in this matter.

As will be apparent and as has already been brought out from the foregoing, the invention is in no way limited to that mode of application nor those forms of embodiment of its various parts which have been considered more especially; on the contrary, it covers all modifications thereto.

What I claim is:

1. A portable firearm comprising a butt, a barrel rigid therewith, a grenade-throwing device fixed to said barrel and an aiming scale mounted on said barrel, the said aiming scale extending in a radial half-plane of said barrel making a substantial angle with the upper radial half-plane of the said barrel.

2. A portable firearm according to claim 1, wherein said aiming scale extends in one of the radial half-planes that make an angle of with said upper radial halfplane.

3. A portable firearm according to claim 2, wherein the radial half-plane in which the aiming scale is oriented is the one located on the right hand side of the firearm.

4. A portable firearm according to claim 1, wherein said aiming scale extends in the radial half-plane making an angle of with the upper radial half-plane;

5. A portable firearm according to claim 1, wherein said aiming scale is carried by said grenade-throwing device.

6. A portable firearm according to claim 1, wherein said aiming scale is carried by said grenade-throwing device and is pivotable with respect to said device about an axis perpendicular to the axis of said device.

7. A portable firearm according to claim 6, wherein said aiming scale is pivotable with respect to said device about an axis parallel to that of the barrel, so that it can be orientated in various radial half-planes of the said barrel.

8. A portable firearm according to claim 1, including a block for carrying said aiming scale, said block being mounted pivotally on said grenade-throwing device about an axis parallel to that of said barrel so as to be able to pass by rotational movement through 90 from a position in which the scale is orientated in the upper radial half-plane of the barrel to a position in which the said scale is orientated perpendicularly to the said upper radial half-plane.

9. A portable firearm according to claim 8, wherein said block has freedom of angular movement through 360 about said axis with respect to said device, further including releasable locking means for said block with respect to said device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 433,323 Bunge July 29, 1890 2,466,714 Kroeger et a1. Apr. 12, 1949 2,778,137 Brandt Jan. .22, 1957 2,788,599 Brandt Apr. 16, 1957 

